Optical thin-film coatings require precise machines. Regardless of the industry or use for the coating, it is typically critical that the film is applied within very narrow specifications in order to meet an end user’s needs. A film that is too thick in certain spots can create a distortion which can be extremely harmful, while a lack of coating from faulty or lower-quality PVD coating equipment can also lead to negative consequences.
This highlights the importance of ensuring that the system you purchase is truly effective at evenly distributing a coating onto an object at precisely the right thickness. When it comes to evaluating different vacuum deposition systems, there are a few things you want to consider in terms of thickness issues:
Thickness Monitoring: You need the ability to check and see how evenly your equipment is depositing the coating onto its intended target. In order to do this, the machine needs to have a monitoring system that gives precise feedback. If the thickness is different than anticipated, this gives you the ability to recalibrate the process or determine if the machine is not performing correctly.
Thickness Uniformity: With many PVC coating machines, the monitoring equipment only measures the thickness of the coating in a small area of the target. In most cases, this is a portion at the center of the target. You need to make sure your equipment provides a uniform dispersal of coating throughout the entire target area. It’s important to take into consideration chamber geometries and evaporation sources when considering your thickness uniformity.
Post written by Denton Vacuum, LLC. Denton Vacuum, LLC provides thin-film technologies such as sputter deposition to clients in a variety of fields.